by Luca Martonely

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While flat and jump racing may seem similar, with the only obvious difference being the obstacles, there are a few other aspects which set them apart. Here we’ll take a look at those differences and how they should be reflected in your choice of a winning horse.

At a first glance, flat and jump racing do seem quite similar. They both take place on turf, and the furlong poles are the same distance apart and. In the case of jump racing, or National hunt racing as the sport is officially called in the UK, Ireland and France, the horse is required to jump either hurdles or fences. And it has nothing to do with livebets at Betsafe that are available for Grand National.

The first main difference between the two types of horse racing is the distance which is markedly shorter in the case of flat racing. Rather than testing the horse’s stamina, flat races focus on speed, with the longest flat race being over a mile shorter than the longest over jumps.

This difference is crucial when selecting a horse; if you are betting in a flat race contest, look for a horse with larger fore-quarters which are generally considered speedier. Good jumpers on the other hand are traditionally more robust types, expected to peak from between seven and ten years of age and compete over longer distances. To put it bluntly, flat race horses have a shorter shelf-life and they are not trained for as long as jump horses. This means that it is easier to assess the form of a jump horse on account of the bigger amount of information available.

The difference in distance between flat and jump racing also reflects on the weight of the horse. In jump racing the weight would make more impact to the outcome due to the fact that the race takes place over a longer distance. Another crucial difference between the two types of racing are the obstacles, which means that if you have decided to place a wager in National hunt racing, make sure to check beforehand whether the horse you have chosen is a good jumper or not.

So, to sum up, when it comes to jump and flat racing, it all boils down to the horse’s characteristics. In the case of jump racing you are likely to make your choice on the basis of more information taking into account more variables, so the important thing is to do your homework carefully when deciding on a horse.

Trotting is a type of harness racing in which the horse does not carry the jockey but pulls its ‘driver’ in a two-wheeled cart usually referred to as ‘sulky’. While harness racing is not so popular in the UK, it has quite the following in Australia and New Zealand, as well as in continental Europe, particularly the northernmost countries. While trotting is the more popular version of harness racing, pacing is the preferred gait in some races, particularly in the US.

Let’s hit you with some history facts first. Harness racing of course traces its history back to the chariot racing in ancient Greece. Later on, the sport became very popular with the Dutch who enjoyed it because it transcended the boundaries of class. The origins of modern harness racing are to be found in North America where trotting harness races became a popular rural pastime by the end of the 18th century. In 1810 harness racing made its way to Australia where it took the country by a storm. In the UK, races have been held from as early as the mid 1700s.

Important trotting races include the ‘Hambletonian’, which is an annual event for three-year-old trotters in the US, and the ‘Breeders Crown – a series of twelve races covering both pacing and trotting. Both the Hambletonian and the Breeders Crown take place at the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey. The most popular harness racing event Down Under is the Inter Dominion Series which includes both a pacing and a trotting series.

Moving on to the betting side of trotting, it is in fact very similar to betting on flat and jump horse races. Betting on trotting races is based on the pari-mutuel betting system where all betting wagers are placed in a pool. The most popular types of bets in trotting are win, place, trifecta, quinella and the exacta/perfecta bet which you can try with livebets + Betsafe that are available for Grand National.

The win bet is pretty straightforward and involves picking a horse and putting a wager that this particular horse will cross the finish line first. The place bet lets you bet on a horse coming first, second or third. In the trifecta bet you name the three horses to come first, second and third with their specific positions. For a successful exacta or perfecta bet you have to pick the winner and the runner-up correctly, while in a quinella bet you have to nominate the first two horses to cross the finish line.

Spotting your best horse in sports is an expensive business. Thousands and millions of pounds and hours are spent every year on identifying the right talent but it can also be rather unpredictable. In this second part, we will be looking at how you to pick your winning horse by following our top tips.

History. Always pay close attention to the jockey’s performance history in the program. If the jockey persistently places in the first three places, no matter what horse he or she is riding, it is a good indicator that you’ve got a winner there. So if you see a horse that has consistently finished in the middle of the pack and with the jockey’s added experience, there’s a good chance that your chosen horse will finish on top.

Consider the odds. For each race, every horse will have the odds printed out next to its name in the program. The one most likely to win is the horse with the lowest odds. Although, past performance does not guarantee future results, statistics show that over time the race favourite is bound to pay off.

If you’re looking to handicap horses in the good chance of winning a small return, then place the bet on the race favourite.

Watch the horse. Before every race while the horses are being paraded around the track, it gives you a good chance to see what the horse looks like and behaving before the race starts. Pay close attention to their behaviour.

Be random. You can also pick a horse based on some superstitious factor such as if he’s wearing your lucky number of colour or you like the name

Essential tips

You don’t have to bet every time. The temptation is very evident but resist the temptation to place a bet on every single race. The best horse-player mulls over the entire program for the best bets and opportunities.

Set a budget. If you’re afraid of getting carried away with your betting, bring a set amount of cash. When you’re done, you leave.

Horse betting is a fun hobby but can also be a profitable one if you make your selection wisely and you place your wager with a trusted source. You can go to any track in the UK and have a fantastic time picking a random horse and betting a small sum. The main goal for most people is not to just simply place a bet and watch a few horses running round the track. They actually want to win some money! You want to win some money! That’s why horse racing is the most entertaining two minutes in sports. The thrill of knowing that each race and bet can make you a little bit richer is always an overwhelming feeling.

But how do you select your winning horse? There are thousands of books and resources on handicapping (the art of picking a winning horse) and there are various opinions on what factors are most important when picking a horse.

While luck does play a huge factor in whether you make money or lose it, handicapping adds to the excitement as it gives you a better sense of control.

Here are my top tips on how to pick your winning horse:

Read the race day program. Your ability to pick a winning horse depends on how you read the program. Crammed with information, you will be able to make a wise decision based on the lines of numbers and lingo in the program.

Check the class levels. With various levels of competition, the higher you go up in class, the better the horses’ performances.

Past performance. Racetracks have various surfaces with some using natural dirt, grass tracks or artificial ones. Horses perform differently depending on the type of surface. The program even informs you on each horse’s past performance on various surface types. If a horse has races well only on natural dirty and you’re at an all-weather track, you might want to eliminate this option.

So you know what kind of bet you’re going to make! It’s time to get to it and place it. If you are at a racetrack, it is best if you use a human teller. The problem with automatic tellers is that they have big lines and you are at risk of being shut out of the race because someone at the front of the queue doesn’t know how to operate the computer. There’s also the possibility of you messing up your bet because you pressed the wrong button. Human tellers are on the other hand, quite friendly and accurate.

Things move very fast at the counter especially a few minutes before post. Make sure you have your money ready. Don’t be the guy/girl holding up the queue while you’re scrambling in your wallet for change.

Once you get to the front of the counter, here’s what you have to tell the teller in this particular order:

1) The racetrack and number

2) The amount of your bet you’re placing

3) The type of bet you’ll be placing

4) Your favourite horse’s number

For example: “Horse’s Charm, race five, £15 to win on #3”. Keep your ticket in a safe place as you will need it to claim your money if you win.

Horse racing as a sport is a wonderful experience in itself. It feels more like entertainment rather than just a unique experience. If you are looking for an affordable and a unique date then look no further.

There are two categories of wagers at horse racing: straight wagers and exotic wagers. If you are fairly new to this game, I would highly recommend sticking with straight wagers, for the simple reason that they’re straightforward and inexpensive. Just pick the one horse to come in the top 3 places.

On the other hand exotic wagers give you the opportunity to place multiple bets in a single wager. These wagers require a level of advanced skills and a knowledge in horse picking since they are a lot of more dear.

Straight Wagers

You can only bet on one horse with straight wager. If you’re betting that your horse comes in first and it finishes first, you can proceed to collect your winnings. When you bet on your horse that he will come in first or second, you get to collect but payout for a place bet is usually less than a win wager. It usually comes with the added security of being able to cash in if your horse finishes in the top 2.

Exotic Wagers

Exotic wagers give you the opportunity to place one single bet on multiple horses allowing you to increase your profit. They’re much harder to win than straight bets and can get incredibly expensive if you don’t have the necessary skill. There are different types of bets when it comes to Exotic Wagers.

Exacta is when you bet on two horses to come in first and second in that exact order while Quinella allows you to place a bet on two horses coming in first and second in any order. With Trifecta, you bet that three horses will finish in first, second and third in that exact order while Superfecta allows you to bet on four horses.

The opportunities for horse racing betting are vast and enticing! Make sure you shop around for a welcome bonus when you’re placing your bets. Live betting brings a myriad of options whether it’s horse racing or any other sport. Check out Betsson for a wide range of live betting options.

Are you a loyal punter or do you have two bookmakers with two separate accounts?

I am sure that many of you are in fact sticking to one bookmaker, for the simple reason that they have money secured in that particular account.

Bookmakers are taking advantage of this and getting a good cash flow from punters’ reluctance of searching for better odds. Since customers are acting lazy, they are just accepting the odds that are on offer and looking no further.

When it comes to welcome bonuses, make sure that you sign up for the one that is most likely to provide back with the largest sum. Betting companies know that customer acquisition is crucial but retention is of utmost importance.

Plot your online gaming strategy

Just like you would shop around for a new home or a holiday, so should you apply the same method to online betting. If you are about to place a bet on a professional level, it is of crucial eminence that you provide yourself with the best chance of succeeding by opening as many accounts as possible.

By placing bets with bookmakers with the best odds you will regain a good profit; however choosing bookmakers with the lowest odds will result in a loss which could run into hundreds of euros over a period of a year. There’s always a difference between the best and the worst of practices.

Welcome bonus sign up offers are tempting

Spending a few extra minutes opening accounts with as many bookmakers as possible will put you in a better position to be able to take as much benefits as possible of the best prices available on the market.

If you also take advantage of some of the welcome bonus sign up offers, you will be right ahead before you even start betting. Sites like Betsson offer a welcome bonus of €1000 at poker while other sites such as CasinoEuro offer a 150% bonus on your first deposit. The benefits are there for you to grab!

Search high and low before making that first bet as it could prove costly in the long run.

With some exciting racing this Saturday let’s take a look at some the races that look like they have some enticing prospects. Showers are expected Saturday afternoon which will soften up the tracks nicely for perfect race conditions with most of the rain predicted for after the day’s close.

15:15 at Ascot

If, as expected, though it is not the most predictable thing in the world at the moment with sides changing after pretty much every race, a high draw comes out for the Buckingham Palace stakes a good prospect for Haydock is Ashaadd, a 3 year old who recently won at Haydock. With most of the field five or older Ashaadd would seem to have plenty of room for improvement against the rest of the competition.

Another interesting horse I’ve been waiting to see over 7f at Ascot this season is Compton. He looks much more suited to longer 7f races compared to shorter distances. Last season he won a 7f race at Ascot at a 2 lb higher mark than he will be holding today. His record at Ascot together with his handicap and a softer track means he is definitely one to watch.

15:20 at Newmarket

The horse to watch here in my opinion is one I’ve been looking at for a while now. Tartiflette has a little inconsistency about her but on any given day can be a real competitor. She’s been running in very strong races recently compared to most of the three year olds she’ll be up against today and with the slightly easier ground I would expect her to do very well.

15:55 at Newmarket

Burning Blaze is my choice for this one. His handicap is very competitive. Some softness in the ground and a 6f race, he registered a third in a 7f handicap recently at Sandown, I think will really suit this horse.

The main competition here I would expect to be another three year old, Secundo, the easy winner in this race last time. He’s up to 9 lbs now however and I suspect he may be pulled wide in this race which will be a disadvantage with the stalls stands side.